The UN humanitarian response plan is chronically underfunded, hampering the effective delivery of emergency humanitarian operations, he said.

The minister was a key ally to Farmajo as he served as a presidential national security advisor and chief of staff at Villa Somalia for almost four years.

He underlined the vital need to scale-up air support with transport and attack helicopters, as well as adequate offensive weapons, for both ATMIS and the Somali security forces. 

Lafta-Garen was elected in December 2018 following a deadly protest in Baidoa over the arrest of Mukhtar Robow, the former deputy Al-Shabaab leader who was running for the regional presidency.

Mohamud, an academic becomes the 10th president of Somalia since the country became an independent nation in East Africa in 1960 from Britain and Italian colonies. 

Last year, intelligence and UN reports have surfaced that revealed the presence of Somali forces in the Tigray region during the deadly battle between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF rebel group in the north.

A Somali diplomat close to Mohamud told The Times of Israel that his return to power was a positive development for a potential normalization process between Mogadishu and Jerusalem.

A UN report revealed that the youths recruited by Fahad and lured with fake work in Qatar were killed in the Tigray conflict last year while fighting along with Ethiopian and Eritrea forces against the TPLF rebels.

Farmajo has stayed in Villa Somalia, the state house for more than five years, one year beyond his four-year term that expired in February 2021.

Mohamud beat Farmaajo in the Horn of African country's election held on May 15 in Mogadishu, garnering 214 votes against the latter's 110 votes in the third round.

HRW says US officials must be “very clear on how their forces will avoid harming Somali civilians during military operations.”

Meanwhile, a severe drought threatens to drive millions into famine, and UN agencies have warned of a humanitarian catastrophe unless early action is taken.